Mohammed Lawal at the Oyster Bar counter. 'If you really want to relax with family, sit in the dining room. But for a quick bite? I'll sit at the counter.'

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Here's the thing about Mohammed Lawal, who, over the past 23 years, has worked his way up from dishwasher to vice president at Grand Central Oyster Bar.

He doesn't like oysters.

"The only time I ever put an oyster in my mouth - I tried to see if I could eat Kumamotos," he says, referring to an oyster originally from Japan that's one of the smallest and easiest to slurp. "I closed my eyes, put the Kumamoto in my mouth and then I swallowed right away. I didn't even chew it." ...